The biggest new logo designs of May 2013

We take a look back at this month's biggest logo designs, including 21st Century Fox and the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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As creatives we constantly strive to reinterpret the world in new and visually exciting ways. Yet we can also be conservative and often have a knee-jerk reaction to something new.

So on the day a new logo design is launched for a familiar brand, the first reactions are usually negative. Once some time has passed and the new design has been seen in action, though, it can be a different story. Here we take a look back at the month's biggest redesigns: with a bit of fresh perspective, what do you think of them now?

01. 2018 Olympics

The design incorporates the five traditional Korean colours

The main symbol is a combination of the Korean characters which spell the 'P' sound (for Pyeong) and the 'ch' sound (of Chang). Created by HA Jong-Joo, the design incorporates the five traditional Korean colours.

The multicoloured design is described by the organisers as "global icon born from the spirit of Korea". As with pretty much every sporting event logo these days, it's drawn favourable comparisons with the infamous London 2012 logo.

02. Instagram

The new Instagram logo is more fluid and instantly familiar

The latest trend for logo designs is to design a simpler, flatter and more professional piece of branding. Case in point is the new Instagram logo. It is an evolutionary update, retaining the instantly-recognizable Instagram script's look. The new design looks smoother and more business-like - but has it lost a touch of its quirkiness in the process?

Designer Mackey Saturday has given an insight into the process. "It was always essential that the design maintained everything that we've all grown to know and love about Instagram while creating a logotype that was more refined, durable, and that positioned the brand for expansion," he explains.

The previous logo, based on the Billabong typeface, now looks clumsy by comparison

03. 21st Century Fox

Does this new logo design match up to the iconic 20th Century we all know so well?

The sudden appearance of a '21st' Century Fox logo is a bit of a shock to the system. Why now, in a random year like 2013, has 20th Century Fox swapped a zero for a '1'?

Essentially it's a business thing. Rupert Murdoch's megacorporation NewsCorp is currently going through the process of splitting into two parts. One half will be called NewsCorp - you can see that new logo here. The other will be called 21st Century Fox and use the logo shown above, designed by Pentagram.

But it's not replacing 20th Century Fox - that will continue as before, just as part of 21st Century Fox. And so the classic logo (shown below) is safe... for now at least.

20th Century Fox won't be changing its name or logo any time soon - 21st Century is just a new umbrella company

04. Mall of America

Bright interchangeable colours replace the old red, white and blue

The world's largest retail complex, Mall of America recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. In order to celebrate with something special, it went in search of a new logo design - something that would better reflect its position as a curator of popular culture.

The new logo (above) is a big departure from the previous identity (below), based on dynamic-looking star design with bright colours that are designed to be interchangeable. Created by local design agency Duffy & Partners, it will appear on everything from billboards to business cards, gift cards to garbage cans.

The old logo was suitably patriotic but starting to look dated

05. 'Handicapped' logo

What do you make of the new approach to the 'handicapped' logo?

Many of you will be familiar with the logo design of the 'handicapped' signage that is used across the world (shown below). Featuring a stick figure in a wheelchair with a blue-and-white colour scheme, the old logo has been criticised as portraying the handicapped as 'passive'.

A design team at Gordon College, Massachusetts took it upon themselves to create a new logo that aims to change the old logo's connotations. Showcasing a stick figure leaning forward and active, the new logo still maintains the traditional blue-and-white colour scheme. The Accessible Icon Project website has a detailed breakdown of how the design was put together.

The traditional logo has been criticised by activists for portraying disabled people as passive